How to Get More YouTube Likes [and Influence the Algorithm]

Summary: Getting more YouTube likes is a great way to improve your channel's overall performance. Here's how to encourage people to hit the thumbs-up button!

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Whether you're looking at individual videos or your entire channel, YouTube likes are more than just a vanity metric. They reveal how often (and how well) you seek to build a community, engage with viewers, and increase your visibility.

So, how many likes have you gotten lately? Most aren’t aware, but the YouTube algorithm is more likely to promote videos where people have completely smashed the like button.

That's why every creator, big and small, should ask a simple question: How do I get more YouTube likes?

What Counts as 'Good' Engagement?

Every channel is different, so there is no “one-size fits all” answer to this question. For smaller channels, even a few dozen likes can be significant, while larger channels may aim for thousands. Aiming for a like rate of about 2.5%-4.4% (of total views) is a reasonable benchmark.

How to Increase Your Likes on YouTube

So far, we know that likes can improve your visibility on YouTube. But did you know they can also boost your channel's authority? Viewers tend to click on videos with thousands of likes and views, improving search rankings for that content.

How can you achieve this on your channel? Just follow these steps, and let the likes roll in.

1. Create Engaging Videos

The cornerstone of any successful YouTube channel is compelling content. Your videos should resonate with your audience and provide value, whether it's through entertainment, information, or inspiration. Learn your viewers' core desires, then make videos that speak directly to those interests and needs.

A good way to do this is by making incentive-based content for your viewers. That way, it feels like they're part of the creation process.

Here are some ways you can try this out:

Challenge viewers to reach a specific number of likes, then do a special giveaway if they're successful.
Ask viewers to vote for their preferences with the like button. For example, if they want a specific video posted, ask them to reach 1,000 likes, 5,000 likes, 10,000, etc.
Use pinned comments to encourage viewers to hit the like button.

2. Talk to Your Audience

Building a loyal community is key, especially if you want people to take specific actions on your channel. You can start by:

Responding to comments.
Creating interactive Community posts.
Showing that you value viewer feedback.

These are natural ways to connect with your audience and get them used to engaging with you. Once they're actively participating, it won't seem like a stretch to do other things too (like tapping the like button).

3. Optimize Video Titles and Thumbnails

It's hard to get more likes on YouTube if no one's watching your content. First impressions do matter, so make sure your titles and thumbnails are borderline irresistible. They should be clear, attractive, and reflective of your video's topic. And most importantly, thumbnails need to stand out amongst the competition.

4. Collaborate with Other YouTubers

Collaboration is a powerful tool. By partnering with other creators, you can tap into new audiences and bring fresh eyeballs to your content. If they like what they see, they may drop a like on your video.

Plus, this is a fantastic way to collect likes from people who haven't seen your videos before. And when they do hit that thumbs-up button, YouTube will suggest your content to another set of new viewers!

5. Check Your Video's Length

One thing to optimize within your content (and it's very subtle) is the total length of your video. Do your best to align every minute of screen time with the value of your content, and resist the urge to go a second longer! After all, a video won't be engaging if it drags on unnecessarily. Film concise yet exciting content that makes people lean in for a like.

6. Keep Showing Up

It seems obvious, but the only way to get more likes is to, well...post a lot of videos!

Upload content regularly, and your audience will keep coming back for more, raising the chance of more likes. After all, consistency breeds familiarity. So, don't leave your viewers hanging for weeks on end with no new videos. Give them what they want so they can become loyal subscribers for you and your channel.

Boosting YouTube Views Alongside Likes

One of the best predictors of earning more YouTubes likes is getting more people to watch your content. And you can do that by:

Promoting your YouTube videos: Share them on other platforms to drive traffic back to your channel, increasing views and likes simultaneously.
Using SEO strategies: Optimize video descriptions and titles to get your content discovered and create opportunities for more likes.
Creating playlists: Encourage viewers to watch more of your content in a single session, so they can like multiple videos.
Engaging with trends: Trending content is more likely to be shared and liked, as it resonates with what viewers are currently interested in.
Analyzing your performance: Review your YouTube analytics to refine your content strategy and attract more likes.

“Like This Video”

Of all the tips and tricks, this is the simplest one that creators forget to do. Sometimes, viewers just need a gentle nudge. Reminding them to like a video can do wonders for your numbers now and in the future.

Using all these tips will improve the number of likes on your videos and make your channel a favorite to the algorithm.

By the way, here's how to make the algorithm recommend your videos!